PRO12 Wrap

Munster had a close to comfort win over Glasgow over the weekend in the Pro12.

Here is all the results from the weekend

Munster 10-7 GlasgowIrish Independent Park

James Cronin’s early try put Munster into the driving seat until a late Stuart Hogg try threatened to turn the tie around. It wasn’t enough though, with Munster seeing out the 10-7 win.

Strong recent form made this a tough one to call, though Glasgow’s poor away form had seen them fail to win away in the PRO12 since the turn of the year.

It was Munster who took the early lead as try number one arrived inside the first five minutes. Cronin went through for it as Warriors failed to get out of the danger area, and the conversion followed with Tyler Bleyendaal safely kicking through.

It was a long time before the next would arrive though. Neither side could get a firm control of the game and it took until midway through the second half before the scoreboard was troubled again.

The Munster backline was being severely tested and was relieved as Rory Scannell’s penalty made it a 10-point lead. But the home defence held up well until Hogg went through. Finn Russell added the extra two but the three point gap was never troubled, as Munster saw out the 10-7 win.

Van der Merwe extended the lead with another from Davies taking the hosts onto the brink of 50 points, as Scarlets saw out a comprehensive win.

Despite victory over Ospreys in Round 18, Scarlets came into this one with the upper hand having only lost once in their last seven PRO12 encounters.

And they were dominant in the opening with a huge lead by the break. Daniel Jones kicked them ahead inside the opening minutes before try number one arrived from van der Merwe. The hosts were really running away with it and a second soon followed through Evans, with the clock not even ticking past the 10 minute mark.

Treviso were completely under the cosh and fell to another try as Van der Merwe increased the punishment on the visitors. Jones converted for the first time to take the lead upto 20 midway through the first half and it got far worse, as a 30 point lead ended any hopes of a miraculous comeback.

Owens marked his 200th appearance with try number four, sealing the bonus point before the half hour was even up. Evans added a fifth as the woes continued for the hapless visitors, with a 30-0 lead at the break too much to peg back.

The lead was extended after half-time as Price grabbed a sixth try, though Treviso hit back as Gega went over to finally get the Italian side on the board. But yellows to Minto and Federico Zani made matters even worse.

Van der Merwe grabbed a hat-trick and extended the lead late on, with the conversion making it 44-5. And it increased as Davies made it even worse, with Scarlets grabbing yet another try and sealing a 51-5 win.

Zebre made it consecutive wins at the Stade Sergio Lanfranchi as Newport’s poor run of form continued with a 29-14 defeat.

An early try from Cory Hill put Dragons into the ascendancy, but Frederico Ruzza levelled the try scoring soon after. Derick Minnie increased Zebre’s lead before the break and Dragons went in 15-7 behind.

Adam Hughes got Dragons back into the ie after the break but Zebre maintained the lead through Edoardo Padovani and Johan Meyer.
Last week’s shock victory over Connacht saw Zebre make it two wins for the campaign, and that provided the chance for them to record successive victories for the first time since 2015. And with Dragons in poor form, that was a very real possibility.]

Carlo Canna kicked the hosts into the lead four minutes in, but it was Dragons who struck first blood where tries are concerned. Hill went over with Angus O’Brien adding the extras after a pretty evenly matched opening, but it was just what Newport needed after some poor results of late.

But what should have resulted in belief turned to despair soon after as Zebre snatched back the lead. Ruzza crossed over and although the conversion was missed by Canna, the scoreboard again made hard reading for Dragons. O’Brien squandered the chance to take back the lead as he fluffed his lines from a penalty on 20, and the hosts stretched that lead with try number two. Minnie drove over with Canna converting as Dragons failed to take control of the game, and a 15-7 scoreline was probably fair at the break.

Dragons improved after the break though and Hughes went through on his 100th start to put his side right back into the game. But Zebre were far the better side and increased the advantage soon after.

Padovani crossed the line to put the hosts back into a healthy lead, the conversion making it 22-14. And that was extended as Meyer went through almost immediately, the conversion taking the gap to 15. A yellow to Serafin Bordoli gave Dragons hope in the late stages, but it counted for little as Zebre grabbed consecutive wins.